60-Day Public Comment Period on LAWPS Project – Proposed Construction and Operation of New Waste Storage and Treatment Unit

Category:

Public Comment Periods

Event Date:

May 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019

Public Comment Period Begins on Proposed Changes to the Hanford Dangerous Waste Permit

Public comment period May 1 - June 30, public meeting May 29

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of River Protection is holding a 60-day public comment period to support a Class 3 modification to the Hanford Dangerous Waste Permit. This modification is requesting approval from the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to add a new operating unit for the Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS). This operating unit will pretreat (remove cesium and filter out solid particles) double-shell tank waste for subsequent vitrification in the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Low-activity Waste (LAW) Facility.

The planned cesium removal system would be deployed in phases. Phase One would employ a Tank-Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) unit. Phase Two would either use a permanent cesium removal capability, LAWPS Facility or an additional TSCR unit to support full operation of the LAW Facility. This proposed modification will cover construction activities and operations needed to support the Phase One portion of the project.